Neighbors Want County to Scrap Plans for West Charlotte Park

CHARLOTTE, NC – Neighbors in a West Charlotte community are telling county leaders to scrap plans for a local park.

Many plan to voice their concerns about it at a public meeting Monday night.

Linda Elder says it’s not safe or practical to build the park on an 18-acre plot in her neighborhood.

She and her neighbors say plans they’ve seen concern them because there’s nowhere to park a car and it’s too dangerous to walk.

The site at Freedom Drive and Elmwood Circle is right at the entrance to Towne Park Estate.

“There will be no sidewalks leading in or to walk down from Freedom Drive. Those curves, and the traffic are very fast,” Elder explains.

The county has already bought the land and plans to pay for the park with money from a 2008 bond referendum.

Betty Oates says the money could go to build or improve other parks.

‘We made suggestion that they take that money and upgrade some of the other areas,” Oates says.

She adds most of the people in her community are over 50 and doesn’t understand plans for things like a playground in the park.

“There are areas where (neighborhoods) needs a park like that, especially with young (families) and young children,” she says.

The public meeting starts at 6:00pm at Allenbrook Elementary in West Charlotte.